Criminal justice operates under a set of principles to ensure societal order. Deviant individuals are guaranteed consequences based on the crimes they commit. Four fundamental principles form the foundation of the criminal justice system under the 4Cs of the criminal justice system: Cops, Courts, Corrections, and Community. Each component is interconnected to the other elements, allowing for a comprehensive and collaborative approach to upholding criminal justice.
Cops
The first ‘C’ is when cops enforce law and order. Cops fall under the law enforcement agencies that investigate and prevent crime and maintain public safety. Law enforcers form the frontline of the criminal justice system since they are the ones who initiate the legal process (Burke et al., 2019). Therefore, police officers must build positive relationships with the community to build an enabling relationship between the two. A collaborative approach to policing helps develop their role and adoption of mitigating techniques as it establishes the underlying factors leading to crime; thus, if efficiently addressed, they can decrease crime rates.
Courts
Courts are critical players in the criminal justice system. The law is implemented by the courts under the judiciary by ensuring fair trials and verdicts. Suspects arrested and charged must be presented in the court system where impartial judgment is given. The system ensures that due process is followed before a verdict is delivered (Burke et al., 2019). The courts have to uphold their role of being impartial by allowing all involved parties to present their case with facts. This ensures that the process is not abused to punish people wrongfully by presuming innocence until proven guilty.
Corrections
After a verdict has been arrived upon in the Court system, those found guilty are sent to correction facilities of different categories based on the intensity of their crimes. Such institutions are categorized as ensuring the principles of punishment, rehabilitation, and reintegration of the offenders. Correction facility’s primary role is to safeguard society by deterrence, incapacitation of offenders from the general public, and also as a form of retribution. Correction facilities also allow offenders to reintegrate into society by rehabilitating cases that have identified underlying issues as the cause of their crime activities (Schick et al., 2020). Correction facilities that emphasize rehabilitating offenders provide education skills and counseling, which is critical for ensuring decreased recidivism chances by addressing the crimes’ underlying causes.
Community
The community is also part of the 4Cs of the criminal justice system. Communities are actively involved in crime prevention by collaborating with law enforcement and the criminal justice system. The system’s rehabilitation efforts cannot be attained without a functional community; thus, it is critical to enhance social cohesion. The system can involve the community through watch programs, victim support services, and restorative justice strategies. Since the criminal justice system’s primary role is safeguarding the general public’s safety, a collaborative relationship between the system and the community is critical for its efficiency (Jones & Weatherburn, 2010). Intelligence from the general public helps law enforcers to act and prevent crimes. However, in communities that do not trust the criminal justice system, prevention of crimes is less likely to be attained because of poor collaboration from the public.
The 4Cs of the criminal justice system are reliant on each other’s efficiency. Therefore, system players should ensure integrity to harmonize the system’s role in ensuring public safety and the deliverance of justice. An effective justice system holistically recognizes the essence of collaborative policing, community involvement in policy making and enforcement, and rehabilitation. Embracing the 4Cs, a society can live harmoniously by keeping offenders at bay while also rehabilitating victims of circumstances by addressing underlying factors such as unemployment by offering them skills when serving time during Correction.
References
Burke, A. S., Carter, D., Fedorek, B., Morey, T., Rutz-Burri, L., & Sanchez, S. (2019). 1: Crime, Criminal Justice, and Criminology. SOU-CCJ230 Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System.
Jones, C., & Weatherburn, D. (2010). Public confidence in the NSW criminal justice system: A survey of the NSW public. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 43(3), 506–525. https://doi.org/10.1375/acri.43.3.506
Schick, V., Roth, I., Link, A., & Welch, A. (2020). The nuanced relationship between adverse childhood experiences and recidivism risk scores among women leaving jail: A preliminary exploration. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 30(5), 221-227.
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